Madonna’s Madame X Show Takes The Underplay To The Next Level
From Madonna’s Instagram.
The Madame X Tour gets some more appreciation from the concert industry: a glowing 5 Star review by Pollstar.com – The Voice of Live Entertainment for over 38 years.
Madame X is yet another example of what the industry refers to as an “underplay.” In lay person’s parlance an underplay is when an A or maybe B+ level musician opts out of the de rigueur arena or shed tour in favor of a more intimate and modest venue. It’s a trend that’s been bubbling under for a while but, not surprisingly, Madonna has helped to focus attention and generate buzz. For years Madonna has been rightfully heralded as a queen of reinvention, seamlessly going from nascent trend to nascent trend, changing up her look and influences to best suit the zeitgeist and capture the attention of her wildly devoted, diverse but, frankly, aging fan base. With Madame X, Madonna joins the ranks of an impressive list of musicians who have also turned the volume down, so to speak.
Pollstar.com also says about the show:
Getting the chance to see a mega star in such close proximity helps to add a magical and elite vibe. Rather than being one of twenty-thousand, a fan is part of a community and can brag that not only did they see Madonna’s “Truth or Dare” shows but were part of the “Madame X” experience; close enough to see every nook and cranny; metaphorically speaking. Underplaying feels more special and in many ways it is since for obvious reasons there are less tickets available. For reasons I can’t quite understand I had never been to a Madonna concert. But now I can say that I was there when she played BAM.
Since 1983 Madonna has courted controversy, some legit and some manufactured. Her music and presentation has championed the underground and been a voice for, among others the LGBTQ community. But perhaps her most significant cultural impact is that while she might not always be the first one in the pool, over the course of close to four decades she’s proven herself to be the performer who makes the biggest splash and whose artistic choices continue to matter. The Madame X shows are yet another remix. Even though Madonna is, to some degree, following rather than leading the pack these days, the industry is paying especially keen attention to how The “Madame X Tour,” which thus far has received universally strong reviews and ticket sales, pans out.
Check out the full review on Pollstar.com.
